Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Labor, Health And Human Services & Defense Funding Bills With Illinois Priorities Secured By Durbin, Duckworth

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a funding bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, as well as for Defense for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). Durbin and Duckworth worked to secure various priorities for Illinois in the appropriations bills, both through Congressionally Directed Spending requests and through the programmatic appropriations process.
“While the Trump Administration aims to slash funding for critical programs and drain resources from essential government operations to make way for his drastic agenda, Congress holds the purse strings, not the President,”Durbin said.“Senator Duckworth and I remain focused on fighting for the funding and support for programs Illinoisans rely on through a steady, thoughtful appropriations process.”

“Our state and our nation are stronger when we invest in our communities and families—and that’s what these bipartisan funding bills do,”Duckworth said.“Appropriating federal funding is the primary role of Congress, and it’s critical this responsibility remains in the legislative branch. I’m proud I was able to help secure critical support for projects throughout Illinois that help improve health care, increase workforce development, support our seniors and more.”
The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill includes the following Illinois priorities secured by Congressionally Directed Spending requests:
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

The two funding bills include additional priorities of the Senators secured through the programmatic appropriations process:

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Education

Department of Labor

Defense
o $40 million formelanomaresearch; $75 million forprostate cancerresearch; and maintaining therespiratory healthline as an eligible disease within the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program line;
o $40 million forALSresearch; and
o $12 million forepilepsyresearch.
o $225 million for theBaltic Security Initiative; and
o $800 million for theUkraine Security Assistance Initiative, whichallows the Pentagon to place contracts for equipment to send to Kyiv.
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